July 2018 Briefing - Allergy

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Allergy for July 2018. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Learning to Change Important for Improving Practice

TUESDAY, July 31, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Although physicians typically struggle with change, relying on habits created in their practice, learning to change is important in order to improve practices and better deal with the changes sweeping through medicine, according to an article published in Medical Economics.

TUESDAY, July 31, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Allowing front desk staff adequate time and an uninterrupted environment to focus on billing can prevent problems later on, according to an article published in Physicians Practice.

TUESDAY, July 31, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- There are very few published descriptions of programs that address the mistreatment of medical trainees, according to a review published online July 27 in JAMA Network Open.

MONDAY, July 30, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Existing policy has been amended to encourage licensing boards to require disclosure of physical or mental health conditions only when these would negatively impact a physicians' ability to practice medicine, according to an article published in the American Medical Association's AMA Wire.

THURSDAY, July 26, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A small-molecule inhibitor of plasma kallikrein, BCX7353, results in a significantly lower rate of hereditary angioedema attacks compared with placebo, according to a study published in the July 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

WEDNESDAY, July 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has announced the launch of an app for easy access to research-based information on the safety and effectiveness of herbal products.

WEDNESDAY, July 25, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Use of appropriate statistical methodology can allow for the synthesis of data collected as part of traditional clinical trials with real-world data, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online July 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

TUESDAY, July 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Practices and physicians should prepare for emergency situations, such as natural disasters, network communications failures, and active shooter situations, according to an article published in Medical Economics.

TUESDAY, July 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The Veterans Affairs Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (VA MISSION) Act may increase costs and reduce quality of health care for veterans, according to an Ideas and Opinions piece published online July 24 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

MONDAY, July 23, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Medical institutions and organizations need to ensure there are proactive interventions to transform the workplace in order to address sexual harassment and discrimination, according to an article published in the American Medical Association's AMA Wire.

FRIDAY, July 20, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Coverage rates and access to care are significantly higher in states with Medicaid expansion, compared with non-expansion states, according to a study published in the July issue of Health Affairs.

THURSDAY, July 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A same-day appointment system can feasibly be introduced, according to the experiences of one health network presented in an article published in Managed Healthcare Executive.

THURSDAY, July 19, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Atopic dermatitis (AD) dramatically impacts the quality of life of patients, according to a study published online July 16 in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.

WEDNESDAY, July 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Several strategies can be implemented to help address management of staff time off, allowing mutual respect for the employee and employer requests, according to an article published in Medical Economics.

TUESDAY, July 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Pivotal trials supporting U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals granted Breakthrough Therapy designation often lack randomization, double-blinding, and control groups, according to a research letter published in the July 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

TUESDAY, July 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A new draft guideline from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests Americans could get widely used prescription medicines for cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma, and migraine headaches without having to see a doctor.

TUESDAY, July 17, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The American Medical Association has committed to working to integrate precision medicine into alternative payment models (APMs), according to an article published in the association's AMA Wire.

MONDAY, July 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) is associated with a reduction in mortality rates in U.S. hospitals, according to a study published in the July issue of Health Affairs.

MONDAY, July 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The Pharmacist eCare Plan is designed to improve communication between pharmacists and physicians by allowing documentation to be available via electronic health records (EHRs), according to an article published online in Drug Topics.

MONDAY, July 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Physician burnout, fatigue, and work-unit safety grades are independently associated with medical errors, according to a study published online July 9 in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

FRIDAY, July 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Virtual assistant programs like Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa are not yet in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), warns an article published in Medical Economics.

FRIDAY, July 13, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Overlooking women in medicine can have far-reaching consequences, according to a perspective piece published in the June 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

THURSDAY, July 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates has adopted policy to increase the number of people who obtain coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by making marketplace plans more affordable.

THURSDAY, July 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- From 2001 to 2015 there was a decrease in the percentage of health care professionals who are self-employed and a decrease in the earning gap between self-employed and employed health care professionals, according to a study published online July 12 in JAMA Network Open.

THURSDAY, July 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A patient experience officer is an increasingly important new role in physician practices, according to an article recently published in Physicians Practice.

THURSDAY, July 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- There is a correlation for asthma and lack of asthma control with the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), according to a study published online July 11 in JAMA Cardiology.

THURSDAY, July 12, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- A peer-based education program can improve the efficiency of electronic health record (EHR) use, according to an article published in the American Medical Association's AMA Wire.

TUESDAY, July 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Nine new drug labeling and packaging guidelines have been developed with an aim of reducing medication errors, according to a report published in Drug Topics.

TUESDAY, July 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The American Medical Association (AMA) calls for inclusive family and medical leave policies to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) workers who care for relatives, spouses, and partners.

MONDAY, July 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Wildfire activity continues to increase throughout the western states, as well as in Alaska, Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas, but there are steps those living in wild fire areas can take to minimize smoke exposure.

MONDAY, July 9, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- The addition of budesonide to a saline nasal lavage for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis provides clinically meaningful benefits, according to a study published online June 7 in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

FRIDAY, July 6, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Yale Medicine is effectively targeting electronic health record (EHR) use and functionality as a way to improve physician job satisfaction and reduce burnout, according to an article published in the American Medical Association's AMA Wire.

THURSDAY, July 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Cumulative reductions in federal payments to hospitals from 2010 to 2028 are estimated to reach $218.2 billion, according to a study commissioned by the Federation of American Hospitals and the American Hospital Association (AHA).

THURSDAY, July 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with moderate/severe atopic dermatitis (AD) have higher patient-reported burden than those with mild AD, regardless of disease control, according to a study published online July 3 in JAMA Dermatology.

Patient Engagement in Asthma Treatment Plans May Improve Quality of Life

MONDAY, July 2, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Older adults with asthma and a greater desire for involvement in decision making have higher asthma-related quality of life, according to a study published in the July issue of the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.